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why dont more cars use rotary engines?



<< the rx-7 had a rotary and it provided plenty of HP and torque. whats the problem with having them on all cars? >>

Harder to maintain. Just look how the cyclinder wall and rotor are lubricated...
 


<< I think they tend to be less reliable. >>


I think the rotary engine has recieved a bad reputation since Mazda decided to turbocharge the ol' Wankel. Rotarys are not less reliable than piston engines, in fact they should be more reliable than piston based engines since they incorporate less moving parts and rotary engines exhibit less inertial stress.

But to answer the original question, I believe Mazda is the only auto company to hold a license to use the Wankel design which they've had for almost 50 years to design and refine. Most auto companies wouldn't be willing to pay for the license, design and test a reliable model.
 


<< they are dirty, can't pass fuel economy or emmissions >>


The only problem rotary engines emissions wise would be hydrocarbon emissions which can be easily remedied with multiple catalytic converts or staggered firing spark plugs.
 


<< NO TORQUE!!! >>



I believe Mazda is coming up with re-born rotary powered in 2003. I saw the news at an auto show.
 


<< NO TORQUE!!! >>



Power 178.2 Kw / 239.0 bhp @ 6500 rpm
Torque 294.0 Nm / 216.8 ft lbs @ 5000 rpm

Displacement 1307 cc / 79.8 cu in

looks pretty damned good to me!
 


<< NO TORQUE!!! >>


Mazda has really done a good job of souring Americans on rotarys. 😉 The naturally aspirated RX7s had plenty of torque for it's given weight. Only the turbocharged 7s had a significant problem with low end torque.

And who cares how it sounds? I actually think an RX7 sounds great inside the cabin. Very smooth, almost sewing machine like...until you put on an aftermarket exhaust. :disgust:
 
My friend has an RX-7.
The engines are fantastic, only problem is, since they're twin-turboed the engine tends to blow up at around 80K miles, which is exactly what his did. It's still getting rebuilt.
 


<< My friend has an RX-7.
The engines are fantastic, only problem is, since they're twin-turboed the engine tends to blow up at around 80K miles, which is exactly what his did. It's still getting rebuilt. >>




how many miles to a gallon does an RX-7 get?
 


<< NO TORQUE!!! >>



When you spin to over 15,000 k 10 Ft lbs of torque will give you 15,000 x 10 / 5252 = 29 horses! Whohoo! 🙂

Rotorys are Rev Mosters. Without the recip parts, you can make them hit much higer rev's where the torque will multiply quickly. Acceleration will be kinda slow tho. no way around that without torque.
 
who cares how it sounds ?? lots of people.. thats what there is a market for aftermarket exhaust systems.

unfortunately aftermarket exhausts often sound like ass on anything less than an 8cyl
 


<< who cares how it sounds ?? lots of people.. thats what there is a market for aftermarket exhaust systems.

unfortunately aftermarket exhausts often sound like ass on anything less than an 8cyl >>


I have to disagree. Have you ever heard a straight six or VW VR6 with aftermarket exhausts? It's heavenly. 🙂

But my original point was, rotarys sound fine stock. So why mess it up unless you're only interested going fast in a straight line?
 
I believe Mazda is the only auto company to hold a license to use the Wankel design which they've had for almost 50 years to design and refine.

General Motors also held a license. Can't remember if they sold it or not.
 
it has to do with the firing pattern with 6 cyl makes the exhaust sound ricey.. it may be your opinion that a high pitched exhaust is heavenly, but its not for me
 


<< I believe Mazda is the only auto company to hold a license to use the Wankel design which they've had for almost 50 years to design and refine.

General Motors also held a license. Can't remember if they sold it or not. >>




What about Ford considering they own most of Mazda now?
 


<< unfortunately aftermarket exhausts often sound like ass on anything less than an 8cyl >>


Just wait until you hear an Apex N1 exhaust on a beastly Geo 1.5 3 Cyl, you'll be eating your words 😉😀

As for the rotaries, there's inventions and innovations that just don't catch on sometimes. Though they may have their own advantages (so damn smooth...), there's still the fact that they make up like .01% of engines out there. The one thing that tends to go wrong with them are the apex seals, and given the nature of the engine, its understandable, but they tend to go around 100k from what I heard.
 
Define "ricey". That's a blanket statement when a person wants to bad-mouth a Japanese based car.

Well the reason why l like the sound of I-6s are that the engine note is clean. Not that "dirty" sound you get from American V-8s. And by dirty I mean overlapping firing notes which tends to create a rumbling noise. I prefer my engine sounds musical not raucous.
 
What about Ford considering they own most of Mazda now?

Many others had a license too.

However, Wankel engine attracted international attention. To raise the development budget, NSU sold the license for United States to an aircraft engine maker called Curtiss-Wright, which then sub-licensed to General Motors, Ford and other car makers.

Link
 


<< I believe Mazda is the only auto company to hold a license to use the Wankel design which they've had for almost 50 years to design and refine.

General Motors also held a license. Can't remember if they sold it or not. >>



You are absolutely correct. A quick search yielded this link. Doesn't say what they did with the license though.

A little more searching and I found this site here. I never knew the Wankel had such a bright future. Everything from motorcycles to snowmobiles! Thanks for the FYI burnedout
 
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